Alliance helps LV businesses buy recycled goods

Thursday, March 26, 1998 | 9:36 a.m.

Las Vegas businesses can save money and help the environment by buying recycled products. That will be easier now that there is a local chapter of the Buy Recycled Business Alliance.

"It is critical that recycled products are bought," Tom Polikalas, coordinator of the Nevada Buy Recycled Business Alliance, told a seminar at Cashman Field Wednesday. "Recycling is only one-third of the process, buying recycled products creates the demand and makes the entire process work economically."

The seminar was part of a trade fair that gave small businesses an opportunity to sell to large companies and organizations.

The Buy Recycled Business Alliance was created in 1992 and has 3,200 members nationwide. Its steering committee consists of major companies like American Airlines, Anheuser-Busch, Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Target and Wal-Mart.

Polikalas said local government agencies and some businesses in Nevada are already re-using or buying recycled goods, but there is confusion about how and where to buy recycled products.

"Education is the key element," Polikalas said. "Consciousness of one person rolls over to another two."

Representatives from the Clark County Health District, the U.S. Postal Service, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, UNLV, Las Vegas Housing Authority and others attended the seminar.

Bonnie Fetchok of the National Recycling Coalition, who is helping to set up the Las Vegas chapter, said it has few members now.

But organizers are hopeful the local chapter will grow because businesses are actually looking to use recycled products since there is often a 40 to 60 percent savings.

For example, Polikalas said hundreds of thousands of dollars are saved annually by companies using recycled toner cartridges.

"UNLV's drastically increased utilization of remanufactured toner cartridges is saving them money and keeping the cartridges out of the landfills," he said.

John Bare, who is on Nevada Power Co.'s recycling committee, said the company has been recycling for years and now is moving towards a more formal program.

Another example is Nevada Highway, which uses discarded rubber from tires and plastic for highway sound barriers.

Construction companies use recycled plastic bricks, while steel is almost always recycled.

And the clothing company Patagonia not only makes socks and vests out of recycled plastic, its Las Vegas plant is made from recycled products.

Businesses wishing to learn more about recycling and buying recycled products can contact the coalition at 786-5401 or call the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection at 800 597-5865.